The best game on Earth.

Catherine trudged through the puppany plants, pushing apart the spaghetti-like tendrils to find her baseball. Ugh. Why was everything on Dup so weird and slimy ... and alien?

On Earth, kids played baseball in the grass. Balls didn't get lost as easily. Of course, Earth kids didn't hit the ball a mile like Duppi kids did. Right into the puppany plants. Every time.

"I found it!" Catherine plucked the slimed-up ball out of the plants. But when she turned around, only Fasta was there. "Where did everyone go?" asked Catherine.

Fasta shrugged and said, "To play Galgo."

"But they always play Galgo." Catherine rubbed the ball on her jeans. "Baseball is the best game on Earth. I don't see why you guys don't like it."

Fasta rolled her eyes. "Maybe because we don't live on Earth. And by the way, you don't either."

Catherine tugged her cap down hard. Why did Fasta always have to remind her that she was stuck on planet Dup for three whole years? Why did her parents have to be intergalactic biologists anyway? And why would it take them three years of research to figure out that Duppis are faster and stronger than Earthlings are?

Catherine tossed the ball to Fasta. "Here, you pitch."

Fasta caught the ball and spun it on her fingertip. "Earth games are too easy for us. You have to learn Galgo."

Catherine picked up her bat and took some practice swings. "Galgo's just a big shoving game. I don't see what's so great about it."

Fasta exhaled loudly. "OK, if you get a hit, we play baseball. If I get you out, we play Galgo." She pitched the ball.

Whizz! It flew by Catherine before she could even get the bat off her shoulder.

Catherine threw the ball back. "Give me a break, will you?"

"Oh, all right." Fasta lifted her leg and pitched in exaggerated slow motion.

Catherine gritted her teeth and swung. POW! She slugged a line drive--pop--straight into Fasta's bare hand.

"Hey!" yelled Catherine.

Fasta giggled and said, "Sorry, you're out. Come on--I'll help you with Galgo." She turned and ran toward the Galgo field.

Catherine ripped off her cap and stuck it on backward. She didn't want to play Galgo. It was a stupid game. The strongest kid always won. And Catherine would never be the strongest kid on Dup. She kicked at a puppany plant.

Phweeee! The Galgo whistle blew. Catherine couldn't help watching as the Galgo ball flew high in the air. A pack of Duppi kids raced to it. Even from far away, Catherine could see them pushing and shoving to get under the ball. So many hands reached up that the ball bounced off their fingertips and flew off in a new direction.

Catherine shook her head. Duppi kids were strange. They could hit a baseball a mile. They could throw a hundred miles an hour. They could catch a line drive bare-handed. But they couldn't catch a Galgo ball because they were always pushing one another out of the way. Catherine could teach them a thing or two about teamwork.

And positions. In baseball, players covered the whole field: right, center, and left. But in Galgo, Duppi kids ran straight to the ball, wherever it went.

Catherine watched the ball bounce right. The Duppi kids ran right, leaving left field wide open.

Left field. Wait a minute. That was her position in baseball! What if she covered it? She'd have that whole part of the field to herself. If the ball went left, she'd be there to catch it.

Catherine turned her cap back around and raced to left field. Maybe she could play Galgo by thinking baseball!

No one noticed her joining the game. They were all crowded under the Galgo ball, waiting for it to drop.

Catherine watched the ball fall toward the waiting Duppi hands. It bounced off their fingertips and flew ... to left field! Catherine took a couple of steps to the right.

SLAP! The ball stung when she caught it, but she clutched it tightly. A noise erupted around her. Catherine looked up. Duppi kids--surprised but cheering--were running toward her.

Fasta ran up and gave Catherine a hug. "You caught it! Catherine, you're a natural!"

Catherine beamed. "Galgo's not such a bad game." She tossed the ball in the air and caught it one-handed. "It may not beat the best game on Earth, but it just might be the best game on Dup!"